Market entry & growth
Regulatory & licensing
Establishing the investment case and approval pathway for an Irish university Dubai branch campus.
An Ireland-based higher education institution sought to establish its first international branch campus in Dubai. North assessed the market opportunity, developed the feasibility study and investment case, and led the regulatory process through to formal submission.
Client
Irish university
Sector
Higher education
Scope
Market entry & regulatory strategy
Duration
2026 – Present
Outcome
Investment case approved.
Approval secured to proceed.
Assessed for future growth.
The challenge
The institution had reached capacity at its home campus and was seeing growing enrolment demand from the Gulf, but had no regional presence. Leadership needed to determine whether a Dubai campus was commercially viable and how the regulatory process across Ireland and the UAE should be sequenced. Before committing capital, the board required a robust investment case, a clear operating model and a realistic path to approval and launch.
Our approach
Assessing the market opportunity
A feasibility assessment examined demand, competition and the institution’s proposed positioning. Regulatory mapping defined the approval pathway and its implications for market entry, sequencing and timing.
Building the investment case
The business case brought together the operating model, governance, staffing, premises and a five-year financial forecast, giving the board a clear basis for evaluating the investment and committing capital.
Progressing the regulatory pathway
North developed and coordinated the formal submission, aligning the institution’s commercial and operating plans with regulatory requirements and supporting engagement with the regulator through review.
The result
The institution secured approval to proceed to initial approval submission, supported by a board-approved business case and committed capital. The next phase will focus on securing final regulatory approval and preparing for establishment.
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